The present invention relates to an improved support, of preferably composite materials, for the acidification, brining, maturing and storage of cheeses.
During the production of cheeses, the curds are subjected to a series of operations causing a reduction in the water content thereof.
The highly corrosive whey exudes raw material and must be removed quickly, since stagnation thereof around the cheese promotes the germination of harmful fungal flora.
The explanations and remarks which follow apply more particularly to cooked cheeses.
During the acidification stage, the cheese, surrounded by a belt, is deposited on a wooden support, generally round in shape. The wood does not promote draining and tends to trap the whey under the cheese, causing the abovementioned drawbacks and tending to remove the relief of the rind coming from the molding. This is partially overcome by turning over the cheese several times, which is a time consuming and expensive operation.
After acidification, the cheese, generally resting on the same support inserted in a pallet, is plunged into the brine in which it floats flattening itself under the upper support. This contact prevents the free circulation of the brine and causes a lack of homogeneity of salting which is offset by increasing the duration of brining.
After brining, the cheese passes into a maturing stage. It is then transferred onto a support, usually made of wood and circular in shape.
During maturing, some of the water remaining in the cheese evaporates. This causes the surface of the cheese to dry, which provides the hardness and strength of the rind.
The wooden support has the disadvantage of preventing the evaporation of water from the lower surface of the cheese where the moisture is concentrated, making the rind soft and adhesive and promoting the growth of molds and the development of bacteria. It is then necessary to turn over the cheese so that the moist surface is on top. Hence, an Emmental is turned over and brushed in order to remove molds some ten times during its maturing. These expensive operations are also laborious when they are carried out manually, an Emmental cheese weighing between seventy and eighty kilograms.